...BUT EASYJET SEES BOOKINGS SOAR

FAMILIES desperate to see loved ones over Christmas have helped drive a 200pc surge in flight and holiday searches at Easyjet.

The airline said bookings for domestic flights in December had soared, as it emerged that UK-wide restrictions would be eased over Christmas.

The most popular routes included London and Bristol to Belfast and London to Edinburgh. Easyjet saw the jump in s earches and bookings between Monday and Wednesday this week. Ministers confirmed on Tuesday that three households could bubble for five days over Christmas – which had been widely reported since the weekend.

The budget carrier, whose shares have risen, added that bookings for next spring and summer were rising after promising news on vaccines.

Easyjet chief executive Johan Lundgren said: ‘ We also launched our Black Friday sale yesterday and the positive response in terms of bookings seems to show a growing confidence to make travel plans.’

Easyjet has been among the worst-hit companies by the Covid-19 crisis this year as spring lockdowns brought global travel to a standstill for several months. Rapidly changing quarantine rules put off many eager holidaymakers from booking trips – with summer sales at all of the major airlines much more disappointing than hoped.

Easyjet will be running just a fifth of its normal flight schedule over this winter. Other

London-listed airlines, including Ryanair and British Airways-owner IAG, have also trimmed back timetables. Easyjet last week reported it swung to a loss of £1.3bn because of the pandemic.

This was the first annual loss in its 25-year history.